diff --git a/pkg/sentry/control/lifecycle.go b/pkg/sentry/control/lifecycle.go
index 67abf497d..52b44babc 100644
--- a/pkg/sentry/control/lifecycle.go
+++ b/pkg/sentry/control/lifecycle.go
@@ -15,12 +15,152 @@
 package control
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/abi/linux"
+	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/fd"
+	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/log"
+	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/sentry/fs/user"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/sentry/kernel"
+	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/sentry/kernel/auth"
+	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/sentry/limits"
+	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/sentry/vfs"
+	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/urpc"
 )
 
 // Lifecycle provides functions related to starting and stopping tasks.
 type Lifecycle struct {
+	// Kernel is the kernel where the tasks belong to.
 	Kernel *kernel.Kernel
+
+	// Sends a message to the sentry that the task has been started.
+	StartedCh chan struct{}
+
+	// TODO(b/202052732): Root mount namespace. When running multiple
+	// containers, create the mount namespace using the mount spec in
+	// the StartContainerArgs.
+	MountNamespaceVFS2 *vfs.MountNamespace
+}
+
+// StartContainerArgs is the set of arguments to start a container.
+type StartContainerArgs struct {
+	// Filename is the filename to load.
+	//
+	// If this is provided as "", then the file will be guessed via Argv[0].
+	Filename string `json:"filename"`
+
+	// Argv is a list of arguments.
+	Argv []string `json:"argv"`
+
+	// Envv is a list of environment variables.
+	Envv []string `json:"envv"`
+
+	// WorkingDirectory defines the working directory for the new process.
+	WorkingDirectory string `json:"wd"`
+
+	// KUID is the UID to run with in the root user namespace. Defaults to
+	// root if not set explicitly.
+	KUID auth.KUID `json:"KUID"`
+
+	// KGID is the GID to run with in the root user namespace. Defaults to
+	// the root group if not set explicitly.
+	KGID auth.KGID `json:"KGID"`
+
+	// ExtraKGIDs is the list of additional groups to which the user belongs.
+	ExtraKGIDs []auth.KGID `json:"extraKGID"`
+
+	// Capabilities is the list of capabilities to give to the process.
+	Capabilities *auth.TaskCapabilities `json:"capabilities"`
+
+	// FilePayload determines the files to give to the new process.
+	urpc.FilePayload
+
+	// ContainerID is the container for the process being executed.
+	ContainerID string `json:"containerID"`
+
+	// Limits is the limit set for the process being executed.
+	Limits *limits.LimitSet `json:"limits"`
+}
+
+// String prints the StartContainerArgs.argv as a string.
+func (args StartContainerArgs) String() string {
+	if len(args.Argv) == 0 {
+		return args.Filename
+	}
+	a := make([]string, len(args.Argv))
+	copy(a, args.Argv)
+	if args.Filename != "" {
+		a[0] = args.Filename
+	}
+	return strings.Join(a, " ")
+}
+
+// StartContainer will start a new container in the sandbox.
+func (l *Lifecycle) StartContainer(args *StartContainerArgs, _ *uint32) error {
+	// Import file descriptors.
+	fdTable := l.Kernel.NewFDTable()
+
+	creds := auth.NewUserCredentials(
+		args.KUID,
+		args.KGID,
+		args.ExtraKGIDs,
+		args.Capabilities,
+		l.Kernel.RootUserNamespace())
+
+	limitSet := args.Limits
+	if limitSet == nil {
+		limitSet = limits.NewLimitSet()
+	}
+	initArgs := kernel.CreateProcessArgs{
+		Filename:                args.Filename,
+		Argv:                    args.Argv,
+		Envv:                    args.Envv,
+		WorkingDirectory:        args.WorkingDirectory,
+		Credentials:             creds,
+		FDTable:                 fdTable,
+		Umask:                   0022,
+		Limits:                  limitSet,
+		MaxSymlinkTraversals:    linux.MaxSymlinkTraversals,
+		UTSNamespace:            l.Kernel.RootUTSNamespace(),
+		IPCNamespace:            l.Kernel.RootIPCNamespace(),
+		AbstractSocketNamespace: l.Kernel.RootAbstractSocketNamespace(),
+		ContainerID:             args.ContainerID,
+		PIDNamespace:            l.Kernel.RootPIDNamespace(),
+		MountNamespaceVFS2:      l.MountNamespaceVFS2,
+	}
+
+	ctx := initArgs.NewContext(l.Kernel)
+	defer fdTable.DecRef(ctx)
+
+	resolved, err := user.ResolveExecutablePath(ctx, &initArgs)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	initArgs.Filename = resolved
+
+	fds, err := fd.NewFromFiles(args.Files)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("duplicating payload files: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		for _, fd := range fds {
+			_ = fd.Close()
+		}
+	}()
+
+	tg, _, err := l.Kernel.CreateProcess(initArgs)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Start the newly created process.
+	l.Kernel.StartProcess(tg)
+
+	log.Infof("Started the new container")
+
+	l.StartedCh <- struct{}{}
+	return nil
 }
 
 // Pause pauses all tasks, blocking until they are stopped.
diff --git a/pkg/sentry/kernel/kernel.go b/pkg/sentry/kernel/kernel.go
index 395a39911..8b5af6a66 100644
--- a/pkg/sentry/kernel/kernel.go
+++ b/pkg/sentry/kernel/kernel.go
@@ -950,6 +950,9 @@ func (k *Kernel) CreateProcess(args CreateProcessArgs) (*ThreadGroup, ThreadID,
 	if VFS2Enabled {
 		mntnsVFS2 = args.MountNamespaceVFS2
 		if mntnsVFS2 == nil {
+			if k.globalInit == nil {
+				return nil, 0, fmt.Errorf("mount namespace is nil")
+			}
 			// Add a reference to the namespace, which is transferred to the new process.
 			mntnsVFS2 = k.globalInit.Leader().MountNamespaceVFS2()
 			mntnsVFS2.IncRef()
@@ -983,6 +986,9 @@ func (k *Kernel) CreateProcess(args CreateProcessArgs) (*ThreadGroup, ThreadID,
 	} else {
 		mntns = args.MountNamespace
 		if mntns == nil {
+			if k.globalInit == nil {
+				return nil, 0, fmt.Errorf("mount namespace is nil")
+			}
 			mntns = k.GlobalInit().Leader().MountNamespace()
 			mntns.IncRef()
 		}
@@ -1100,9 +1106,6 @@ func (k *Kernel) Start() error {
 	k.extMu.Lock()
 	defer k.extMu.Unlock()
 
-	if k.globalInit == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("kernel contains no tasks")
-	}
 	if k.started {
 		return fmt.Errorf("kernel already started")
 	}